Anisotropy of yrast gamma transitions from /sup 16/O on /sup 48/Ti: Angular momentum dissipation and alignment in deep-inelastic reactions

The intensities and angular correlations of yrast transitions measured in coincidence with light fragments from 96-MeV $^{16}\mathrm{O}$+$^{48}\mathrm{Ti}$ reactions are used to determine amount and alignment of the angular momentum transferred to the heavy fragment as a function of the reaction $Q$ value. It is found that fluctuations of the spin axis about the scattering normal are small at the most probable $Q$ value of - 32 MeV but increase strongly with increasing inelasticity.